If you’ve opened the link to this post and are genuinely interested in the content then welcome! And thank you for taking the first step in the journey to making the Earth a better place. National Vegetarian Week runs from May 16th to May 22nd, and is a great time to reflect on our lifestyle choices.

We all know that reducing the amount of meat we eat not only saves the animals, but our beautiful planet too. We also know that so many other things come under the label “animal based products” and it is almost impossible to stop buying everything. So, I’m here to give you some tips that might help you to reduce animal-based products in small ways, that end up making a big difference.

Get rid of the meat and three veg mentality

As someone who used to have meat with every meal, I understand the confusion and panic of imagining a plate of food without it. But despite the commonality of plating up this way, it’s not healthy. And there is a lot of room to cut down.

Even if you don’t completely get rid of meat from your life; reducing the amount you consume and having more veggie-only meals will benefit everyone.

There are thousands of people out there sharing vegetarian and vegan recipes for all to access. All you need to do is Google it, head to Pinterest, or buy a recipe book! Plus, we are spoilt for choice now that there are so many plant-based foods in shops and restaurants.

Check for cruelty free alternatives

Did you know that most popular brands test on animals, and/or include animal biproducts in stuff that we rely on daily? (Makeup, skincare, cleaning chemicals, condoms, toothpastes, nappies, toilet paper (and so so so so so much more)) Nah, me neither… until I did the research. So now whenever I buy something, I make sure to go for the cruelty free alternative. Sometimes it’s easy because the product will have the cruelty free/vegan label on it. Other times, you’ll have to look up the brand. But just doing this will mean you stop putting money into companies that exploit animals.

Nowadays, this is effortless as well, thanks to websites such as Cruelty Free Kitty.

Follow vegetarian or vegan pages for inspiration

When you follow pages on social media that share their veggie food recipes and foodie tips and tricks, you will start to see how inexpensive and accessible plant-based food is. This will make you feel less scared to try new meals. And hopefully make you feel empowered in your decision to stop eating meat.

Going a step further, you can also follow pages that share disturbing images and videos of animals being tortured, because I’m confident that will make you not want to buy any more animal based products.

Think of the good you will be making

If you’re not sure about this whole thing, just imagine the animals you are saving, the carbon footprint you are reducing, the water you are not wasting, and the impact everyone who is doing the same is having.

Staying ignorant is a walk in the park, but deciding to take action is the brave thing to do.

And you can start any time. It doesn’t have to be National Vegetarian Week, or Earth Day, for people to start making a positive impact.

Ask questions

If you’re not sure about something, ask a friendly vegan! If you don’t know anyone that’s vegetarian or vegan, the internet is full of people who want to help. The most important thing most of us concentrate on here is that you are trying, and we want to make that easier. Because we’ve been there!

There are groups on Facebook for support in the journey. Google is also your best friend. And today, there are YouTube vids and Instagram reels for everything.

If you want an answer to a vegetarian-related question, don’t be shy, ask away.

Check out organizations set up to help

Maybe you are on the fence and want more info? Or you have already decided you want to give it a try for a week, or a month, to test the waters but aren’t sure where to start? Organizations like The Vegetarian Society (who are leading initiatives like National Vegetarian Week) are there to give you a helping hand. This particular one is UK-based, but there are others set up for different countries.

Get involved with National Vegetarian Week

As you can see from The Vegetarian Society‘s website, there are offers, recipes and help for you when you sign up. These campaigns cost nothing to get involved with. They are there to make your plant-based journey easier.

I hope this post is helpful for those of you thinking about going vegetarian or vegan. This IS THE WEEK! THIS IS YOUR SIGN!

Until Next Time,

M